Essential Oil News

BED BUGS BE GONE! ESSENTIAL OILS TO THE RESCUE

Whether you’ve had the misfortune of being bitten by a bed bug, or are just keen on creating your own aromatherapy products, this simple and effective essential oil remedy can help keep the bugs and the bites at bay.

Bed bugs are international travelers. They can be anywhere. You’ll find them in posh hotels and humble hostels. An effective repellent can be simply created with essential oils. This is portable, within most travel regulations for liquids, and easy to use. To create it, you’ll need the following supplies:

A 5 ml bottle with an orifice reducer cap

Essential Oils:

10 drops Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)

10 drops Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata)

10 drops Spike Lavender (Lavandula latifolia)

In order to assure essential oil purity, you can purchase from an aromatherapy supplier like Aromatics International.

How To: Do it Yourself!

Add the essential oils to the bottle and cap it. For aromatherapy novices, you’ll notice the cap to the 5 ml bottle comes equipped with a plastic insert. This is the orifice reducer which feeds drops of the essential oil out of the bottle one by one. It is lodged into the cap and will anchor into the top of the bottle once the cap is screwed on.

So, back to our preparation: Once the 3 essential oils are in the bottle, affix the cap (with reducer) into the top of the bottle, twisting the cap until there is a reassuring ‘click.’ That is the sound of the orifice reducer being anchored into the top of the bottle. When the cap is unscrewed for the first use, the reducer will be left securely behind, inserted into the top of the bottle.

About an hour before getting into bed, sprinkle a few drops of this blend in the bed: on the bottom sheet, on top of, and underneath, the pillow cases. Then close the bed up, pulling the covers up over the pillows. This contains the essential oil vapors in the bed and creates the effect of repelling the bugs. Before retiring, pull back the covers and allow the bed to air out.

You can also treat anything in the room where you store clothing, such as your suitcase, the dresser drawers, etc. Repeat the process daily and rest assured that you’ve addressed the potential of being bitten.

And please note: The recipe is not cidal. In other words, it is not designed to kill the bugs. For that you’ll need more elaborate measures that involve an exterminator. Rather, this approach offers a natural way to repel the pests.

The 'DO-NOTs': Essential Oil Safety Basics

As with all essential oil products, please follow basic aromatherapy safety rules: keep out of reach of children, do not use essential oils or essential oil based products in the first trimester of pregnancy, do not ingest or apply essential oils directly to the skin, and check with both your primary care physician and a certified aromatherapist if you have any questions.

Disclaimers: Information shared is for educational purposes only and not intended to replace professional medical care or licensed extermination.